Ash Wednesday

Photo courtesy WELS.net

Today begins Lent. I can hardly believe it! But it does give me some hope that Spring is out there in the realm of possibility. Being that we have used up 3 days of our Spring Break this week in snow days, the promise of sunshine and birds singing is one that I am clinging to!

I ran over in my (not sleepy) mind last night what I could feasibly give up for Lent this year. I say feasibly because I have reduced my vices considerably since finding out that we were expecting another baby. I'm now down to one caffeinated drink a day on most days, and really don't have as much desire for chocolate as I usually do. I'm drinking water til I float because I crave it. I'm not drinking or smoking, cause I...well....I just don't! I'm not quite willing to give up fast food, even though we have been cutting back since the beginning of the year for financial and health reasons. So the things I kept returning to were 1)a negativity fast, which I tried last year and honestly failed at pretty miserably, and 2)giving up some of my beloved snooze button minutes of sleep in order to spend that time focusing on Bible reading.

Well. Given that my insomniac tendencies are not helped much by adding multiple trips to the bathroom every night, plus the fact that I can't take my sleeping pills when needed, I am thinking trying to give up anything related to sleep is just not in my best interest! And honestly, I've joked (kinda) that what I'd really like to give up for Lent is being pregnant! But it doesn't look like that is going to happen either.

Today I logged into facebook and asked my friends what they are giving up for Lent. I was hoping for some inspiration. I found some...when my friend Lisa said that she is giving up negative comments! I thought,"There's your sign, Christi!" So I searched through my gmail archives for the 40 Days from Negativity emails that I had saved from last year. If you are interested in trying this out, check out this website: 40 Days from Negativity

I am also giving up some things that are honestly between me and the Lord, and am going to try to add in more Bible reading and devotional time. I've been working on that more the past few days anyway, and every time I do better, I wonder why in the world do I let myself get OUT of the habit of giving God time in my day?? I feel so much more focused, centered, and just better when I do!

I NEED to reduce my negativity, and it truly will be a stretch and a sacrifice this year to do so. I have fussed and fussed about this pregnancy, and I need to stop. I need to remember that this is a God-ordained blessing that will add to my life instead of taking away. Yes, there will be changes that I will have to make, but I know that he will be worth every minute of them. God knows my needs more than I can ever begin to imagine, and He saw that we needed to add this little one to our family. So focusing over the next 40 days on the positive aspects of life, including my sweet unborn child, will definitely be a good thing!

So....what are your plans for Lent? If you haven't made any yet, it isn't too late! It's NEVER too late to give more of yourself to God!